Rebranding bilingualism: The shifting discourses of language education policy in California's 2016 election

Katznelson, Noah; Bernstein, Katie A.

doi:10.1016/j.linged.2017.05.002

Cited by 57 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Other scholars have examined how neoliberal ideologies have shaped not just language commodification, but language education policy, and in particular its promotion and (re)branding. Katznelson and Bernstein (2017), for instance, demonstrated how California's ballot measure (Proposition 58) to rescind restrictive, anti‐bilingual education policy was framed by its proponents around economic goals, neoliberal values, and linguistic instrumentalism. As suggested by the title of the proposition, the California Education for a Global Economy (EdGE) Initiative , proponents positioned multilingualism as important for students’ academic and employment opportunities, as well as crucial for the “ability of businesses, the state, and the nation to compete at a global level” (p. 20).…”

Section: Related Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

“…As suggested by the title of the proposition, the California Education for a Global Economy (EdGE) Initiative , proponents positioned multilingualism as important for students’ academic and employment opportunities, as well as crucial for the “ability of businesses, the state, and the nation to compete at a global level” (p. 20). Katznelson and Bernstein (2017) suggest that Proposition 58 was not so much a repeal of a restrictive policy that prohibited mother tongue education for English learners, but rather a new language education policy, framed as a means to promote additional enrichment in the form of language learning opportunities for English speakers.…”

Section: Related Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

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The neoliberal logic of state seals of biliteracy

Schwedhelm

King

2020

Foreign Language Annals

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State‐issued seals and certificates of biliteracy are increasingly common nationwide. Nevertheless, limited research to date has examined how this state legislation functions as language in education policy and the ideological foundations of these policies. Addressing this gap, the present paper examines state seals as an instance of neoliberal language education policy and addresses how the policy has been constructed in public discourse and interview narratives and how it has been implemented to date. Focusing on one state, Minnesota, we demonstrate the neoliberal logic that undergirds state seals of biliteracy. Data revealed uneven availability of assessments and access to seals across the state. Access was largely determined by market‐oriented, rational choice ideologies, and dependent upon the language and district in question. Analysis also suggested that while Minnesota seals have been constructed in public discourse as a financial asset, their value is unclear in a potentially inflated marketplace of academic credentials within the state.

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Section: Related Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Related Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

The neoliberal logic of state seals of biliteracy

Schwedhelm

King

2020

Foreign Language Annals

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“…Olsen's statement draws extensively on GHC discourse. For example, it locates the need for bi‐/multilingualism temporally in the present and future and spatially on a global or international scale (Katznelson & Bernstein, ). While representing bi‐/multilingualism as new and globally oriented may provide a compelling incentive for English monolingual students and parents to invest in second language learning, her statement also erases or ignores the long‐standing bi‐/multilingualism of language‐minoritized groups in the United States.…”

Section: Findings and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the final stage of our analysis, we analyzed this smaller sample of texts in order to identify the presence of EH and GHC discourses within them. We drew on related research (e.g., Delavan, Valdez, & Freire, ; Katznelson & Bernstein, ) to help identify features of EH and GHC discourses: for example, descriptions of globalization or discussions of the marginalization of nonnative English users, students of color, or students from less affluent backgrounds.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moving beyond simply identifying and describing these discourses, we take up the concerns raised by Valdez et al. () and other scholars (e.g., Flores & García, ; Katznelson & Bernstein, ; Varghese & Park, ) who note that GHC discourses have become increasingly prevalent within U.S. language education and that their prevalence may be indicative of attempts to prioritize the interests of privileged stakeholders at the expense of students who are most disadvantaged by educational inequity. For example, Valdez et al.…”

Section: A Critical Approach To Us Educational Language Policymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Recognizing Whose Bilingualism? A Critical Policy Analysis of the Seal of Biliteracy

Subtirelu

Borowczyk

Hernández

et al. 2019

The Modern Language Journal

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The Seal of Biliteracy is as an initiative to incentivize and credentialize bi‐/multilingualism in K–12 education in the United States. While it has been widely celebrated as a positive development in U.S. educational language policy, it is important to consider to what extent marginalized students benefit from this initiative. This critical policy analysis explores possible inequities in the way that the Seal has been promoted, enacted in policy, and implemented in schools, focused primarily on California. Three findings are reported. First, advocates and policy makers have constructed the purpose of the Seal as primarily aimed at promoting foreign or world language education, raising questions about the degree to which the recognition of language‐minoritized students’ linguistic repertoires is a focus. Second, the policy requirements for demonstrating biliteracy advantage students, especially native English‐speaking students, who are studying a foreign or world language as part of their school's curriculum. Third, schools with high percentages of students of color and students from low‐income families are less likely to participate in the program, suggesting that students privileged along lines of race and class have greater access to the program. This article concludes by suggesting improvements in policy and directions for future research that might contribute to addressing these inequities.

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“This is a Very Sensitive Point”: Bilingual Teachers' Interactions with Neo‐Nationalism in a Two‐Way Immersion Program in the United States

Becker

Oliveira²

2023

TESOL Quarterly

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Concurrent with the rise in U.S. neo‐nationalism is the growing influx of im/migrant children in the nation's schools. This article explores how a group of eight K‐3 Brazilian bilingual teachers in a Portuguese‐English Two‐Way Immersion (TWI) program in the United States interact with neo‐nationalist discourses pertaining to the theme of immigration. Drawing on recent theorizing about the intersections of neo‐nationalism, language, and bilingual education, this multi‐year ethnographic study leverages multiple formal interviews and informal conversations with TWI educators to understand their perspectives and classroom practices. We found that most of the interviewed teachers were keenly aware that their im/migrant students regularly shared complex narratives of immigration in their classrooms, at times during whole‐group instruction. However, these educators consistently evaded opportunities to engage in conversations about immigration with their students due to a range of perceived obstacles. The teachers also expressed willingness to eventually include a narrow range of “positive” or “neutral” images of immigration in their curriculum and instruction, which further decoupled issues of immigration from U.S. neo‐nationalism. Findings bear implications for language education researchers and practitioners since they indicate how neo‐nationalist discourses may shape elementary‐school educators' orientations and daily moves within bilingual classrooms designed to better serve racialized bilingual students.

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Rebranding bilingualism: The shifting discourses of language education policy in California's 2016 election

Cited by 57 publications

References 36 publications

The neoliberal logic of state seals of biliteracy

The neoliberal logic of state seals of biliteracy

Recognizing Whose Bilingualism? A Critical Policy Analysis of the Seal of Biliteracy

“This is a Very Sensitive Point”: Bilingual Teachers' Interactions with Neo‐Nationalism in a Two‐Way Immersion Program in the United States

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